5 WAYS TO ACE SPEED HIKING
1. FIRST STEPS
Need to kick-start your fitness? Even a short speed walk brings benefits. ‘A brisk walk is an excellent way of incorporating moderate-intensity exercise into your day,’ says Goss. ‘Recent research from Cambridge University shows a daily 11-minute, brisk walk could cut the risk of early death, cardiovascular disease and
Remember to warm up! Spend a few minutes activating hamstrings, hips, and arms.
certain cancers.’ Try building 10-minute bursts of brisk walking into your day, then build up time and speed. Track your pace through the day using free NHS app, Active 10 (nhs.uk) Or try Living Streets’ #Try20 tips for squeezing in 20-minute walks during National Walking Month; livingstreets.org.uk/nwm
2. PERFECT YOUR TECHNIQUE
‘Walking speed is dependent on technique, stride and cadence (steps per minute),’ explains sports scientist and walking expert Joanna Hall, founder of Walkactive (walk-active.com), a system proven to increase walking speed by
24 per cent. Try not to overstride, as it puts strain on your knees and lower back. ‘Instead, propel yourself forward from your back leg rather than “pulling” yourself forward with your front leg. Your stride will open up because you’re pushing from the back,’ says Hall. Also, avoid punching your fists like a power walker, as this triggers shoulder discomfort and lower back pain. ‘Rather, let your arms swing naturally from the shoulder. This will encourage better alignment and improve waist shape, which the Walkactive Technique has been proven to do. Swing your arms slightly across your body,’ adds Hall. ‘You should have rotation through the upper torso, so it’s almost like doing a sit-up with every stride.’
3. FIND YOUR STRIDE
Perfected your posture? You’re ready to pick up speed. ‘A cadence of about 125 steps a minute [around
3.5 miles/5.8km an hour] is classed as more vigorous exercise, similar to jogging,’ says Hall. ‘That’s when you really get cardiovascular fitness benefits. People doing our sixweek, Walkactive programme see improvement in resting heart rate, cardiovascular fitness and bloodsugar levels. I train runners who say the walking programme helped them run better, too.
‘Our research shows glutes, hip extensors, shoulder extensors and core all benefit,’ says Hall. ‘It has a lengthening eect, like Pilates in motion. Your body becomes neat and trim.’
4. ADD AN INCLINE
For a walking workout that rivals running, speed up your nearest hill. Adding incline raises heart rate by 10 per cent, building endurance and torching calories, confirms research. A study in the Journal of Biomechanics found people who walked at 10 per cent incline burned 30 per cent more calories. Walking uphill strengthens glutes and quads while coming downhill challenges your core. Again, technique is key, says Hall. ‘Avoid leaning into the hill, as this puts pressure on your knees and lower back,’ she explains. ‘Think about lifting up. It immediately improves your posture and helps you breathe eciently.’
5. TAKE A HIKE
Try the Walkactive app and Taster programme; walk-active. com
Turn speed sessions into an adventure by taking them into the wild. ‘For hikers up for a challenge, speed hiking can make trail adventures more dynamic and increase intensity,’ says Dr Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller, chief medical advisor at Alltrails (alltrails.com). ‘A test of endurance, speed hiking gets your adrenaline pumping.’ Ready to go? ‘Increase your distance and intensity gradually, adding no more than 10 per cent to each speed hike, to steadily build endurance,’ says Hackenmiller. ‘If your first hike is two miles, your next should be no more than 2.2 miles. You’ll be surprised how quickly you improve.’ Use route finders such as Alltrails, filtering local trails by distance and elevation to match your ability.